


Baby Talk

by NancyandNed



Series: Today Until Forever [18]
Category: Nancy Drew - Carolyn Keene
Genre: Babies, Babysitting, Cuddling & Snuggling, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, F/M, Family, Fluff, Plans For The Future
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-27
Updated: 2020-11-27
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:09:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27745015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NancyandNed/pseuds/NancyandNed
Summary: Nancy and Ned babysit his infant cousin and come to a realisation.
Relationships: Nancy Drew/Ned Nickerson
Series: Today Until Forever [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1665985
Kudos: 4





	Baby Talk

"I _wuv_ you, Aunt Nancy." Little Ethan murmured sleepily as she put him to bed.

Nancy felt her insides melt. Bending down, she pressed a soft peck against his messy brown curls.

"I love you too. Now sleep so that we can play even more tomorrow."

Nodding like he had been given a very important task, Ned's three year old cousins cuddled up against his favourite soft toy, a stuffed dinosaur, and promptly fell asleep.

Nancy watched for a few more minutes to make sure he was really asleep. Then finally satisfied, she put away the storybook she'd read him and then quietly let herself out of the room, gently closing the door behind her.

Ethan was Ned's first cousin once removed, son of his cousin Eleanor and her husband Brent. The first time Nancy had met Eleanor had been much after her marriage, in fact it was a few months after her son had been born. But despite the ten year's of age difference between them, they'd instantly bonded and had kept in touch over the years. Her second child, Emily had been born over Christmas but Ned hadn't had a chance to visit his new cousin due to college. So when Eleanor and Brent had invited him and Nancy to spend a week of their Spring break at their place in Denver, they'd happily accepted.

But it had been obvious that the new parents were beyond exhausted with having to care for a baby as well as a toddler while at the same time manage their jobs. So tonight, being their anniversary, Nancy and Ned had insisted that the couple at least go out for a movie and volunteered to take care of the kids.

Humming softly, she made her way into the living room. The scene that met her eyes brought out the biggest smile on her face.

And a nervous little flutter in her belly.

Once again, Bess's theory about men and babies was turning out to be correct.

Ned was pretty much the most good looking guy she'd ever known. But Ned with a baby was so insanely attractive, it should've been _illegal_.

He was rocking slowly from side to side, singing animatedly to a little bundle wrapped in his arms. Emily's gleeful giggles tinkled around the room.

Before he could catch her staring, Nancy quickly walked in and plopped down on the sofa.

"Tell me you didn't just hear me baby talk." Ned chuckled, turning towards her.

"More like baby _sing_." She winked at him. "It wasn't as bad as your shower singing though." She teased as he rolled his eyes at her.

"Ethan asleep?" When she nodded, he continued. "Great. Can you hold her for a second? I'll go get her bottle. I think she's hungry."

Nodding, she tenderly took the baby from him and cradled her against her arm. When Emily immediately pawed at her chest both she and Ned let out a laugh.

"You'd better hurry, Ned. I think she's getting impatient."

Once he left, she looked down at the warm little bundle in her arms and sighed happily. Emily was gazing up at her with her large green eyes and dimpled chin and Nancy could could actually feel her heart warm up with love.

She was good with toddlers, thanks to the babysitting she'd done with Bess and George during her early teen years. However, she didn't have a lot of experience with babies. She'd grown up without a sibling, the second and third cousins she had were more or less her age and lived all across the country.

But Eleanor's kids were such angels, that she had instantly fallen in love with them. Spending the last four days with them had been a great learning experience.

_Practice for the future?_ She found herself pondering, like she'd done several times over the past few days.

"Aren't you the sweetest little thing?" Nancy cooed as she lightly tickled her and Emily made a soft giggly noise, almost in agreement.

It was then that she noticed that Ned was leaning against the door, watching them.

"You look adorable with a baby." He commented simply and she didn't know exactly why, but maybe it was the way he said it or maybe it was the way he was looking at her, but she felt her face heat up.

He settled down beside her and she handed the infant back to him.

"Brent called. Their movie's over but I insisted they stay for dinner. I checked and there's some leftover lasagna for us. Is that okay? I can stay up and look after the kids if you're tired."

"I'm not tired. And lasagna sounds great!"

Quietly she watched him feed the baby.

One day, she was sure he was going to be such a great father. She could only hope, it would be _their_ children.

"How are you so good with them?" She blurted out as she watched him expertly burp the baby. "I'm always scared of accidentally hurting them."

"I had a lot of practice growing up. Always volunteering to babysit my younger cousins. Hoping my parents would understand I'm responsible enough and give me my own sibling to play with."

"Didn't you ever tell them?"

"I did. They sat me down when I was around eight and explained. Mom had a risky pregnancy. Almost lost us both. After that they didn't want to take a chance again. Somehow I understood." Suddenly he smiled. "And believe me, just me was quite a handful."

"I don't doubt that for a second." She grinned back at him.

"Anyway. Don't be so scared. I think Em here likes you."

"I think so too." Nancy whispered happily as the child giggled and reached up towards her the second she attempted to take her from him.

"See. Not so difficult, is it?" Ned asked, putting an arm around her and Nancy could only smile.

She wasn't like Bess who had already decided the names of her three children back when she was just twelve herself. Nor was she like George who wanted nothing to do with kids and blamed any motherly instinct she felt on hormones and her double set of X chromosomes.

In her nineteen years of existence, Nancy had never imagined herself as a mother. But not because she didn't want to. Only because she didn't really know how to and it completely and absolutely terrified her.

But she now knew. It didn't matter that she'd herself grown up without her mother. It didn't matter because she knew that she wouldn't be alone. Ned would be there with her, filling in where she might fall short.

She could almost imagine it. A little house, a cosy living room. Them, no longer children themselves but older, snuggled together on the couch just like they were now. A baby girl between them, the perfect combination of them. Maybe with her eyes and her father's hair and incredibly long dark lashes. Another toddler playing by their feet, a little boy, with messy brown wavy hair, her nose, and enough wit to outshine his smartest peers.

"I'd like to have one of these myself, someday." She heard herself whisper.

"A _baby_?"

Nancy nodded. "A little boy with dark eyes and the kindest heart, who'd grow up to every girl's dream."

"Or a beautiful little girl with red hair and eyes the color of the sea, who'd be the reason for all her father and brother's grey hair."

The emotion she saw in his dark eyes made her heart pound. And only in a good way.

Ned put a hand on her cheek and pressed a soft kiss against her lips.

"Have I ever told you I've always wanted to be a father?"

"Someday, in a few years, you would be. An incredible one." She whispered laying her head back on his shoulder.

"So will you, Nan. An amazing mother. I already know and nothing would make me happier."

Together, they looked down at the sleepy little child between them, both thinking the same thing.

"I can't wait." They whispered together.

**Author's Note:**

> It's been soooo long since I've managed to find time to write but I do hope things will change for the better soon. So thank you for sticking around!  
> In the meantime, if you liked reading this, please consider leaving a review!


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